MSF dismisses 18 staff after Chad exploitation investigation
MSF's Chad investigation puts humanitarian safeguarding under renewed scrutiny as Sudanese refugees depend on aid in eastern Chad.
In 30 seconds
- MSF's internal report says investigators reviewed 59 misconduct allegations in Chad.
- MSF said in its response that 18 staff members were dismissed or barred from future work.
- The allegations concerned Sudanese refugees, Chadian residents and MSF personnel, according to the internal report.
- European Commission's Chad factsheet says the EU allocated €72.04 million to Chad humanitarian aid in 2026.
MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières, the medical humanitarian NGO founded in 1971 and known in Belgium as Artsen Zonder Grenzen/Médecins Sans Frontières) runs emergency medical programmes in conflict and disaster zones. Chad (landlocked Central African state bordering Sudan) hosts large numbers of people fleeing the Sudan war. Eastern Chad (the border region around Adré and other reception sites) is where many Sudanese refugees have crossed since 2023. Sudanese refugees (people displaced by Sudan's war that began in April 2023) depend heavily on aid in neighbouring countries. European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, known as DG ECHO (the EU humanitarian aid department), funds emergency assistance outside the EU. UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) tracks Sudan displacement and coordinates refugee protection data. Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International (Geneva-based accountability initiative later folded into sector standards) researched why abuse survivors often do not complain.
Background
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International's 2008 study argued that weak complaint systems and unequal power between aid providers and affected people help explain under-reporting of sexual exploitation and abuse. The sector has faced repeated scandals: the 2002 West Africa refugee-camp allegations involving aid workers and peacekeepers prompted new UN and NGO safeguards, while 2018 disclosures about Oxfam in Haiti and MSF misconduct cases widened donor scrutiny. AP's 2024 reporting on Sudanese women in Chad was followed by a UN in Chad statement saying the allegations warranted urgent action and cooperation with authorities.
The wider picture
Sudan's war has pushed instability across borders, especially into Chad, where humanitarian agencies operate amid displacement, food insecurity and security pressure. Safeguarding failures in that setting can deepen mistrust in international aid at a time when Western and EU donors are trying to keep assistance flowing despite conflict spillover and chronic underfunding.
Why now
The story is timely because MSF's confidential internal report has now been reported publicly, turning earlier 2024 allegations from refugee sites in Chad into a documented organisational accountability case with dismissals and recommended reforms.
What happens next
Watch whether MSF publishes more detail on reforms without exposing survivors, whether donors request audits of safeguarding systems, and whether UN protection actors in Chad report stronger complaint pathways for refugees and local staff.
What to do
Belgian residents who donate to MSF or other humanitarian organisations can expect more scrutiny of safeguarding, hiring checks and complaint systems. Aid professionals considering field work should treat abuse-reporting rules and power dynamics as core operational responsibilities, not compliance paperwork. EU-focused readers should watch how DG ECHO links funding to partner accountability.
How we got here
- 2023-04-15
Sudan's war began, pushing civilians into neighbouring countries including Chad, according to UNHCR's Sudan situation portal.
- 2024-11-16
AP published allegations from Sudanese women in Chad that aid workers and security actors had exploited them.
- 2024-11-26
UN in Chad statement saying the allegations warranted urgent measures and cooperation with authorities.
- 2026-06-13
AP and Al Jazeera reported that MSF's internal report found 59 allegations and 18 staff dismissals or bans.
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